A Spoonful of Honey Part II - A Lesson, A Conversation & An Invitation
by NernOAredhel
Summary: Jane and Jack have a spontaneous picnic and find out more about each other's childhood adventures, including the time Jane tried to steal Michael's bicycle, which did not end well for her or her pristine dress. Will she fair any better with Jack as a teacher? Fluff inspired by the recent spell of unseasonably semi-warm weather.


An all caps THANK YOU to everyone who read 'A Spoonful of Honey' and for all the likes and reviews - you are all brilliant and I apologise for being rubbish at replying, but please know I read every comment and practically burst with every kind word that was left there!

I decided to carry it on as a series, as this isn't a direct next chapter to 'A Spoonful of Honey', but it follows on from it and there will most likely be mentions and references threaded through the continuing adventures of Jane and Jack.

Hopefully I live up to all your kind words regarding the first part, I've kind of been dipping in and out of working on this one between uni work (& anxiety meltdowns) and was getting to the point where I just needed to finish and post it.

This one should be three chapters eventually, but I have a whole other slew of Jane/ Jack fics swirling around in my head, if life / uni etc permits me time to get them down!

Enjoy!

Chapter One - A Lesson

The summer sun, on its height, glistened through the trees above, golden gems of light flickering across the gravel path of the secluded park. Tower Bridge peeking through the canopy the only sign that the city beyond existed. Laughter rang out from a grassy knoll under a cedar tree, Jane Banks giggled profusely, Jack had been telling her about his times with Bert, including many chimneys, musical instruments and a particularly funny incident involving some oil paints.

The picnic had been somewhat spontaneous — with a blue Saturday sky, the idea of staying indoors was simply unacceptable, so they had gathered up a few items from the pantry in Jane's flat, along with an old tartan blanket that had belonged to her mother, set them in the front basket of Jack's bicycle and set off into the midday sun.

The bicycle was pitched nearby, at the edge of the gravel path, the activist and the lamplighter sat cross legged opposite each other, exchanging stories and glances, their hands interlocked between them. The breeze was sweet and green, carrying with it voices and laughter from other areas of the park, but in this hidden corner, they may as well have been the only souls in the city.

'Well, I'm sure you got up to jus' as much mischief when you were a littl'un.' Jack eyed her with a playful suspicion.

'I don't know what you mean.' Jane responded with equal impishness, elaborately flicking her hair from her face.

They both fell into lighthearted laughter once more, Jane falling further into the deep chestnut eyes before her.

'Well,' she began, 'I did steal Michael's bicycle once.'

Jack sat up at the admission, his eyes widening with glee, 'Really Miss Jane Banks?'

'Yes,' she intertwined her fingers with his. 'I didn't get very far though, my dress got caught in the chain and I fell off. You should have seen my father's face, he gave me quite the lecture on the proper behaviour of a young lady.'

Jack listened intently, his smile never faltering.

'My mother on the other hand bought me a pair of trousers, as long as I promised not to wear them around my father, so the next time I was on a bicycle I'd only have to worry about my balance, rather than layers of petticoats.' Jane trailed off.

'An' did you?'

'Hmm?'

'Steal Michael's bicycle again?'

Jane shook her head, 'It wasn't long before the war started and, well, I suppose I never really got around to it after that.'

'Well, we'll 'ave to see what we can do about tha'.' Jack jumped up from the blanket, his hand still holding Jane's.

'Where are we going?' Jane followed him as he led her down to the path and his bicycle.

'Are you sure Jack?' Jane ran her fingers over the handle bars.

'Go on 'ave a go!' Jack's smile drifted somewhere between excitement and mischief.

'What if I crash it and break it? You need it to do your job.' Jane's excuse was half-hearted, but still, she didn't exactly have the best reputation when it came to two-wheeled vehicles and Jack did need it to do his job.

'She's been through plenty of scrapes believe me an', still works perfectly well.' Jack said as he removed the ladder and lighting pole and set them against the cedar tree.

Jane found herself wondering just what a scrape entailed, but decided she'd rather not think about how the various dents in the bicycle's frame had come to be there.

Jack unhitched the bicycle from the stand and, picking it up by the seat, swung it round so it was parallel with Jane. He took a cloth from the front basket and elaborately swept it over the seat. 'Your chariot m'lady.'

Jane couldn't help but giggle.

Jack winked as he stepped aside, his hand lingering on the handle bar, holding the bicycle upright.

Birds chirped encouragingly overhead. Jane bit her lip and stifled what was left of her doubt under the warm look Jack gave her. She gingerly swung her leg over the cross bar and gripped the handlebars, digging the balls of her feet into the gravel path.

'Now,' he placed one hand gently over hers on the handlebars, the other on her back. 'Jus' try movin' around wivout the peddles first.'

'Alright.' Jane wrapped her fingers over his on the handlebars, a gesture he returned in a warm smile, his cheeks flushing a little. 'Like this?' She scraped her shoes along the gravel, the gritty path crunching under the wheels as they slowly started to turn. Jane kept a mechanical hold on the handlebars and Jack's hand, every caught glance between them washing over Jane like the broken sun beams through the trees.

'There, see, you're a natural.' Jack beamed at her.

After a few more yards and at the start of a long, straight bit of path, they came to a stop.

Jane loosened her grip a little, though she kept her fingers wrapped around Jack's.

'Now, 'ow about tryin' it wiv the peddles?' Jack wound the peddles back a little so they were in the right position.

Determination filled Jane, 'Alright.' She lifted both of her feet up to the peddles at the same time, quite forgetting in her eagerness that her connection to the ground was the only thing keeping the bicycle upright. She took a sharp intake of breath as the park started to tilt unnaturally in front of her.

'Gotcha!' Jack's grip on the handlebars doubled as he quickly grabbed the frame behind the seat.

Jane slammed her feet back on the ground, just catching herself before she fully crashed into Jack. She grimaced at the swirl of adrenaline that tore through her. 'Sorry, got a bit ahead of myself there!'

Jack countered her apology, 'Hey, not to worry, I've got you.' His arm moved from the frame to around her shoulders. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, 'No 'arm done!'

Jane steadied herself, the feel of Jack's lips against her skin was never a feeling she wanted to let go of in a hurry.

His hand was at her back again. 'Now, start off wiv one peddle an' then get your balance. Once your 'appy, push of wiv the other peddle and jus' keep goin' straight.' He gestured down the path with his arm outstretched.

'Alright.' Jane adjusted her grip on the handlebars, the metal warm from where she had gripped it so tightly. 'Like this?' Jane placed her foot on the peddle, her shoe had a slight scuff where she had slammed it to the ground moments ago.

'Exactly,' the encouraging smile creasing through Jack's face filled Jane with confidence. 'Ready?'

'Ready.' Jane pushed off, shakily at first but, after gaining her balance, she put the other foot on the other peddle and before she knew it, she was picking up momentum.

'There you go!' Jack's elation was evident as he kept pace beside her.

Jane's white knuckle grip softened at the freeness she felt, Jack still lightly hand hold of her hand on the handlebar, but mostly for reassurance, she was doing it all herself.

The click clack of the chain picked up along with Jane's heart rate, not from fear this time, but pride.

Jack was at a half jog now, an elated giggle escaped Jane as she picked up the momentum a little more, the freedom of the sweet breeze enveloped her, Jack's encouraging affirmations filled her with a renewed sense of glee.

A gentle bend in the path unfurled beyond some bushes and Jane took this moment to smile wildly at Jack, but, being a novice rider, when she turned her head, she also turned the handlebars.

Jane sucked in air through clenched teeth as the front wheel narrowly missed Jack, who grabbed the handlebars to right them, while also catching Jane by the waist in an attempt to reverse the sudden shift of momentum, but the laws of physics don't always answer to such gestures. All sense of balance vacated Jane and she toppled sideways into Jack, the feeling of falling an ever widening chasm her stomach.

They landed on the grassy slope of a shallow incline, between a rose bush and a young oak tree.

After a moment of shock, the cascading feeling of falling rippled out of Jane's limbs, replaced by the cheek burning realisation that she was half lying on top of Jack.

'Are you alright?' Their chorused enquiries after each other were swiftly followed by a ripple of laughter.

'Are you sure Jack? I landed on your arm.' Jane wasn't complaining about the fact Jack's arm was wrapped around her waist, the warmth of his hand seeped into her ribcage through her light cotton shirt.

'Course,' Jack, his eyes not leaving hers, drew his arm further around her, pulling her closer, as if to demonstrate that he was uninjured.

'Oh Jack, you're bicycle!' The grass prickled at Jane's hip as she propped herself up on her elbow, half expecting it to be in pieces, but to her immense relief it was quite the opposite. The back wheel spun lazily where it lay at an angle half on the grass, half on the path, the sun hypnotically catching the spokes.

'Nah, she's been through worse.' Jack had tilted his head up, leaving his cap behind on the grass, his hair falling this way and that. 'Tough as ol' boots Gertie is.' He slid his arm up around Jane's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

'Still…' Jane began, her train of thought cutting in and out with the rotational flashes of the wheel, which was starting to slow.

'Don't worry abou' it.' Jack let his head drop back onto the grass and he began to hum a slow tune, tracing circles on Jane's shoulder with his thumb. 'Though I think maybe next time, we should start wiv steerin'.' His tone was playful.

Jane blinked away from the bicycle and gave his chest a mock tap. 'I can steer perfectly well thank you very much, you — distracted me is all.'

Jack raised his eyebrows cheekily.

An airy giggle escaped Jane as she let her elbow sink back down, allowing herself a moment to drink in the summer haze and the amber light flickering through Jack's chestnut eyes. _Quite the distraction._ She leant over and brushed some grass from his hair, her fingertips resting on his hairline.

The heavy scents of roses and grass nuzzled in around them as Jane closed the gap between their lips, brushing hers against his, barely pulling away, lingering in invitation.

Jack returned the kiss with impassioned gentleness, his fingers grazing the side of her neck, sending shivers trickling down her spine.

Her hand slipped to his collar, gripping it, closing her eyes to the warmth and tenderness of the moment.

In the distance a church bell rang the hour. One…Two…Three.

A thought tried to nudge its way into Jane's mind, fluttering into view. Abrupt realisation caught Jane and she suddenly pulled away from Jack, her eyes snapping open, disorientating her a little.

'Three o'clock.' The statement was of course, completely meaningless without the reminder now sounding in Jane's mind. Her fist was still wrapped around Jack's collar, his brows starting to knit with mild confusion.

'What's wrong?' He brushed a strand of hair from her eyelash.

'I was supposed to be at Michael's at three o'clock. I promised the children I'd have tea with them.' Jane's face was only centimetres from Jack's, her voice small and laced with dismay. She was astutely punctual and a terrible weight sat in her abdomen as she imagined her niece and nephews waiting on the steps of 17 Cherry Tree Lane, as they often did (weather permitting) when they were expecting their aunt. She dragged herself away from Jack and stood, the side where she's been lying up against him felt oddly cold and she absently crossed her arms across her stomach. 'And we couldn't be further away if we tried!'

Jack grabbed his cap and jumped up, the glint of possibility in his eyes. 'Then,' he hauled Gertie upright, 'we'll need plenty of shortcuts.'


End file.
